1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to graphics rendering techniques. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a system that facilitates web-based rendering of graphics.
2. Related Art
Computer systems often include a number of native applications that require complex three-dimensional (3D) scenes to be rendered, such as computer games and computer-aided design (CAD) systems. To render 3D graphics, these native applications may use graphics application programming interfaces (APIs) that direct calculations related to graphics rendering to dedicated graphics processing units (GPUs). The additional computational power provided by these GPUs can greatly improve graphics quality and throughput.
Web applications, which have become more prevalent in recent years, are typically written in scripting languages that are unable to utilize low-level graphics APIs that provide graphics hardware acceleration. Instead, graphics rendering for web applications is typically performed by CPUs instead of GPUs. The software-based nature of web-based graphics rendering may thus limit the graphics capabilities of web applications. However, unlike native applications, web applications provide a number of advantages. For example, web applications are capable of executing on multiple platforms, do not require installation, and can be more secure than native applications.
Hence, what is needed is a web-based graphics rendering system that enables graphics hardware acceleration for web-based applications.